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Judge orders man to hold bullying sign after taunting disabled kids

An Ohio man served his court-ordered public punishment Sunday, after a judge found that he was anything but neighborly.

This was not a typical sentence, but the situation was not your typical neighbor dispute.

Edmond Aviv, 62, sat at the intersection of Trebisky and Monticello in South Euclid, Ohio, for five hours, holding a handwritten sign that said he was a bully who picks on children with disabilities.

South Euclid Municipal Court Judge Gayle Williams-Byers ordered Aviv to serve this public punishment. It was part of his sentence for harassing his neighbors, the Prugh family, who includes two adopted African-American children with multiple disabilities.

The sign read, in part: “I am a bully. I pick on children that are disabled and I am intolerant of those are different from myself.”

When Fox 8 News Reporter Maria Scali asked Aviv about the sentencing and whether he felt he has bullied the Prugh family, he gave no response to any questions asked.

According to police, there were a number of incidents over the past 15 years involving these next door neighbors that went beyond name calling.

“He shoveled dog feces onto the car, the working vehicle of the one son who’s a caregiver,” Judge Gayle Williams-Byers said.

Jessica King came from Mentor with her son Conner, who has disabilities, to talk directly to Aviv.

“I hope what this judge did to you really shows an example to the community and there’s less ignorance because of this,” she said to him.

Many passersby agreed with the unusual sentence for this unusual bullying case.

“What a disgrace this man is to humanity. Because what he did is inexcusable. Nobody can do something like that to other people,” South Euclid resident Aldo Canzona said.

Gloria Gunter saw Aviv while out walking her dog. She, too, agreed with his sentence.

“He deserves some punishment and public humiliation is a good one.” I don’t feel bad for him. He got pretty much what he deserved,” she said.

In addition to this public punishment, Aviv was sentenced to 15 days in jail. He must perform 100 hours of community service, and he must attend anger management classes.

Speaking for the Prugh family, Michael Prugh said he hopes the situation is now behind them. “Hopefully it’s just the end and we can all just move on,” he said.

For much more on this story, check out our sister station Fox 8’s coverage here.

2 comments

one of many

Lisa

Hopefully he feels like an idiot because he sure does look like one,this is what hatred turns you into people,a old,sad,bitter ugly shell of a person,and the sad part about it is he probably will not change at all…………sad!!